2021 is a special year for Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). This is because the Federal Republic of Germany has now been engaged in development policy for over six decades. On 14 November 1961, Walter Scheel was appointed as the first Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation. This day is considered to be the date the ministry was founded, and we are now celebrating the 60th anniversary of the BMZ. Since the ministry was founded, its task has been to draw up and implement the development policy of the Federal Republic of Germany.
PTB has been contributing its core competence to international development cooperation for a similar length of time. It supports developing and emerging countries in the extensive field of work that is quality infrastructure. This initially took the form of carefully selected exchanges between individual specialist labs, and now PTB’s International Cooperation department (Group 9.3) is implementing almost 60 projects in 80 countries. As a member of a global network, it adheres to international good practices. Its approach is based on partnership. Furthermore, PTB’s approach is holistic and tailored to suit the needs of its partners.
PTB proudly looks back on many decades of cooperation with the BMZ that have been based on trust and hopes that the BMZ will also maintain its commitment and the will to act decisively in the coming decades. You can gain further insights into the history of the BMZ at: https://www.bmz.de/de/ministerium/geschichte (in German)
Photo: Reception for the Minister of Economy Ismael Touré from Guinea with Federal Minister Walter Scheel in 1964. © Wikimedia Commons – Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Germany
Logo: 60 years Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development © BMZ
